Chapter 62
Chapter 62.
FIPA headquarters, conference hall.
At this venue where the award ceremony was taking place.
Reporters had been waiting densely packed even before Lee Ganghan entered.
"Wow. It looks like all the reporters in LA have gathered here."
"Was Strong Lee's status this significant?"
"Didn't you see yesterday? The moment he first entered the arena, he got 10 stars."
"I heard it hasn't even been a month since he awakened. Can you believe it?"
While reporters gathered in small groups.
Exchanging stories about Lee Ganghan.
"He's here!"
When the conference hall door opened and Lee Ganghan entered.
Click, click!
Camera flashes went off incessantly from all directions.
As he walked steadily and stepped up onto the podium.
"Oh. Strong Lee, it's an honor to meet you."
A middle-aged man with half-balding hair.
FIPA Chairman Blatter approached him with a beaming smile and offered a handshake.
As their hands clasped.
Click! Click!
Even more intense flashing sounds echoed.
After releasing the handshake, Blatter continued smiling.
From the podium, he looked at the reporters.
"As you all know, this award ceremony was originally held to honor the achievements of Strong Lee, who was the first to bring down a tower."
Lee Ganghan, the first in humanity to bring down a tower.
In fact, this alone was such a tremendous achievement that it warranted the FIPA Chairman personally stepping forward to hold a special award ceremony.
"However, Strong Lee accomplished several more tremendous feats in that short time before coming to LA!"
Blatter then began listing the achievements Lee Ganghan had cleared.
Not only did he bring down another tower.
He also obtained increased score acquisition and even gained Accessory Slot +1 for all humanity.
Blatter enumerated all these achievements while raising his voice.
"Since towers appeared, no player has accomplished such feats. And all of this was achieved at Iron grade!"
While the FIPA Chairman continued his praise of Lee Ganghan.
The person himself, listening through an interpreter beside him.
'......I never imagined father would contact me.'
Recalling the morning message.
He was examining the people below the podium one by one.
His father, who hadn't been in contact and suddenly said to meet during the award ceremony.
So he wondered if perhaps he was among the reporters.
'He doesn't seem to be here......'
Despite the flashing and his concentrated careful observation.
He couldn't find anyone resembling his father at all.
'Does he plan to meet when I return after the ceremony?'
While Lee Ganghan was examining the inside of the hall.
"......Therefore! We have prepared a more special item!"
After Blatter's lengthy speech ended.
The awaited 'special item' presentation ceremony proceeded.
"Oh, finally!"
"What's this item that FIPA is giving?"
"Seeing how they emphasized it's special, it must be no ordinary thing......"
The reporters looked at Blatter with excitement at the news of the item presentation.
"However, this item is stored in a very special location, so we cannot show it here...... please understand."
When the chairman said it couldn't be revealed here.
"Ah, what?"
"It wasn't being given here?"
They immediately showed disappointment.
"What is the effect of this special item?"
"What grade is the item?"
Several reporters asked questions.
"That depends on Strong Lee's choice."
Blatter said everything depended on Lee Ganghan's choice.
"Shall we go then?"
Through the back door of the conference hall podium.
He personally guided Lee Ganghan.
"What? No interview time?"
"They say they'll arrange one after the item selection."
"Geez, what kind of great item are they giving to do this?"
"We'll have to keep waiting until Strong Lee comes out......"
While reporters expressed dissatisfaction with FIPA's policy.
'My choice?'
Lee Ganghan, who heard Blatter's story through the interpreter, tilted his head.
Choice?
So they're letting him select an item?
'If there's a sword, I should pick a sword.'
Lee Ganghan, who needed an A-grade or higher sword anyway.
If it's a 'special item' prepared by FIPA.
It should be at least grade A, right?
Lee Ganghan thought it worked out well as he followed behind Blatter.
Receiving tight security from security personnel, Lee Ganghan's party boarded the elevator.
They arrived at the third basement floor of the FIPA headquarters building.
"This way, please."
The place Blatter led the party to was a large steel door.
In front of the door with a white cross drawn on it, he placed his hand.
Then.
Flash......!
Light rippled, and the door slid open.
As three doors with crosses opened.
'Is this for storing items? Security is thorough.'
What kind of item were they giving to maintain such tight security?
Anticipation began to build.
Standing before the fourth door.
"From here on, only Strong Lee and I will go. This is a top-secret area, so please understand."
Blatter spoke to Lee Ganghan's party with a good-natured smile.
"Won't the Heavenly Demon need an interpreter?"
"It's fine. Strong Lee won't need to use English inside."
When Shin Yuri translated Blatter's words.
Lee Ganghan nodded.
"Understood. Let's go, just the two of us."
As everyone stepped back.
"Let's go."
Only then did Blatter open the fourth door.
Then.
Pure white light filled his vision.
'The inside is blindingly bright.'
As Lee Ganghan frowned at the sudden light.
"Ganghan."
From inside the fourth room.
I heard a familiar Korean.
***
"......Father?"
"It's been a while."
Lee Ganghan looked at his father, Lee Junil.
He thought they'd meet when returning to the hotel after everything ended.
To think he'd see him here.
"No...... when did you become affiliated with FIPA?"
Moreover, to be in such a top-secret area.
He doesn't seem to be just a low-level FIPA member.
'His health seems to have improved too.'
When searching for mother and traveling around the country, father was completely gaunt and haggard.
Since coming to FIPA, whether he regained his health, he had a sturdy build.
"It's been a while. I was handling top-secret work during that time, so I couldn't contact you. I'm sorry."
"No, well. I'm glad to see you're healthy."
"But...... is your physical condition alright?"
Lee Ganghan nodded at his father's question.
"Yes, well. My condition is always good."
"Nothing changed after entering here?"
"Well? Nothing much except the blinding light......"
"Really? That's truly fortunate."
Lee Junil visibly relaxed at that answer.
'Why is he acting like that?'
Lee Ganghan found his father's reaction strange.
"Junil, your son seems fine."
"Yes. Fortunately."
"Then you can personally tell that person......"
When Blatter and father began conversing in English.
He could only stand quietly watching from the side.
'I should have studied English.'
Honestly, when he was sleeping 12 hours at home, did he know it would come to this?
As Lee Ganghan stood there blankly, unable to understand what the two were saying.
Thud.
Suddenly Blatter knelt on the floor.
"Our Father who art in heaven......"
He began praying.
'......What, suddenly?'
Why is he praying here?
Lee Ganghan looked at Blatter, who had entered his own world in a reverent posture, with bewildered eyes.
"Ganghan, let's go, don't mind the chairman."
"Ah...... yes."
When father walked forward, he followed behind.
'The light is getting stronger.'
Until opening the fourth door, it was just an ordinary underground passage.
But this space he was walking through following father's guidance.
Only radiance was visible, like walking through light itself.
As Lee Ganghan followed.
"Are you alright?"
Lee Junil asked Lee Ganghan several times if he was okay.
"Yes, I'm fine, though I can only see light."
"Really? That's fortunate, even if you're the Heavenly Demon, you're not truly a demon's minion."
"......A demon's minion?"
Why are demons coming up here?
"If you had followed demons, you couldn't remain unharmed under this light. Your body would probably have burned away."
Was that it?
Lee Ganghan looked at this radiance-filled space with fresh eyes.
'I came all the way to LA to receive an item, but I almost died by mistake.'
I wondered why they wouldn't give the item in a public place.
Was this kind of trap involved?
Moreover,
"......Did father guide me here knowing that?"
He felt disappointed even in his father, whom he met after a long time.
Because if the Heavenly Demon's power was really connected to demons as he said, he would have just burned to death.
"I had confidence that you didn't follow demons. Still...... I'm sorry."
Lee Junil bowed his head deeply to his son, genuinely apologetic.
Lee Ganghan sighed at that sight.
"The apology is fine. More importantly, please tell me what this sudden demon talk and this light are about. I came to receive an item and what is this......"
"You'll understand when you go in."
"Go in, further?"
"Yes. As you said, you have to receive the item, don't you?"
That damn special item.
I came to LA because of it and ended up having all kinds of experiences.
Still.
'I've come this far, so I should know what's inside.'
Now, rather than for the item.
He became more curious about what was hidden beneath FIPA headquarters.
When Lee Ganghan nodded.
Swoosh.
Lee Junil stepped aside as if telling him to go forward.
"You might be a little surprised when you enter."
"I'm already surprised enough."
"Right? Really...... I'm sorry."
Then suddenly kneeling.
"Our Father who art in heaven, forgive me for harboring doubts in my wickedness. Thank you for saving my son......"
Suddenly, like Chairman Blatter, he began offering reverent prayers.
'No...... he was definitely non-religious?'
The chairman earlier too.
Is FIPA actually some Vatican branch or something?
Lee Ganghan looked at his father with bewildered eyes.
'Let's go see for now.'
To find out what exactly was inside that made them act this way, he moved forward.
Had he advanced for about 5 more minutes?
'There's another door.'
A golden door with a white cross drawn on it.
Unlike the four doors he had passed through earlier.
This door was several times larger.
In terms of scale, rather than a door, it felt like the entire wall had become a gate.
'......'
As Lee Ganghan approached here.
Whirrrr......!
The golden door opened automatically like an automatic door.
Revealing the scene inside.
The first thing that caught his eye was a giant eye.
An eye several times larger than Lee Ganghan.
It had six pairs of huge white wings attached to its top, edges, and bottom rim.
Flap, flap.......
The six pairs of wings moved slowly, continuously floating in mid-air—a blue eye.
"Could this be an angel...... perhaps?"
Seeing father and Blatter constantly offering prayers.
He had thought there might be some divine being or relic inside.
But no matter what, he didn't expect such a bizarrely shaped eyeball angel.
But.
'Is it really an angel?'
It's too different from the image I know.
As Lee Ganghan looked at the eyeball wings emitting light on their own, thinking this.
Whirrrr.......
A system message appeared before his eyes.
['Angel Kael' proposes to become your Guardian Constellation.]
[If you accept the proposal, the 'Constellation' category will open in the system.]
Constellation?
Was there such a thing?
Lee Ganghan looked at this system category he was hearing for the first time and pondered briefly.
[You are the owner of the trait 'Heavenly Demon Constitution'.]
[If you accept a constellation, the Heavenly Demon Constitution grade will drop to F and be fixed.]
'F?'
His contemplation was completely resolved by the following message.
F?
And if it's fixed, there's no reason to do this.
When he pressed no.
Tremble, tremble, tremble.......
The giant eyeball trembled.
Whoosh......!
All six pairs of wings were engulfed in flames.
'What, suddenly?'
As Lee Ganghan frowned at the intense firepower.
Whirrrr.......
A message window appeared before his eyes.
[Why did you reject the sponsorship?]
[It's fine if you have another religion. It doesn't matter if you're non-religious.]
[Reconsider.]
Was it because he rejected the sponsorship outright?
Lee Ganghan informed the eyeball angel with burning wings of his reason.
"I rejected it because they said if I receive sponsorship, my Heavenly Demon Constitution grade would drop to F."
Then.
[Ha. Shit.]
Such a message immediately appeared.
Strike, Strike.
Lines were drawn over the profanity.
[That was just a bug.]
"Bug......?"
Were there bugs in the system too?
That seemed like his true feelings came out.
[Don't mind it. More importantly.......]
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle.......
The flames disappeared from the burning wings.
[I was supposed to give a reward. Is there any particular item you want?]
The eyeball angel immediately mentioned 'item'.